A majority of Americans think the Kremlin holds compromising leverage over President Donald Trump, according to a new poll taken after the president's cozy press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A bare majority of 51 per cent agreed that 'the Russian government has compromising information about President Trump,' according to a new Quinnipiac University poll, taken following the Helsinki summit where Putin got asked point blank whether he held leverage over the U.S. president.

The poll result follows more than a year's worth of exhaustive coverage on the Golden Showers dossier, the Russia probe, and an unfolding series of ties between top level and lower level Trump campaign officials who had contacts with Russians during the campaign.

Support for Trump dropped to 38 per cent in the new poll, taken after the Helsinki summit, while a 51 per cent majority believe the Russians have compromising information on him

Just over a third, 35 per cent, of Americans surveyed don't believe the Russians have compromising information on the commander-in-chief.

However Republicans don't believe the Kremlin has compromising information on Trump, by a 70 to 18 per cent margin. They are the only group, by age, party, gender, education, age, or race, who doesn't believe it.

The survey was taken between July 18 to July 23 – meaning callers were reaching out to voters after Trump's controversial summit had concluded, amid media blowback and a brief effort by Trump to walk back his statement backing up Putin's 'powerful' denial of election meddling.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Helsinki that he did prefer Donald Trump in 2016

Just over a third, 35 per cent, of Americans surveyed don't believe the Russians have compromising information on the commander-in-chief

Trump has denounced the Steele dossier and says if the Russians had information on him it would have come out already

Christopher Steele, the former MI6 agent who set-up Orbis Business Intelligence and compiled a dossier on Donald Trump

I HAVE BEEN SAVING SOMETHING FOR YOU: A bare majority of 51 per cent agreed that 'the Russian government has compromising information about President Trump,' according to a new Quinnipiac University poll

One element of the Steele dossier relates to unverified claims about Trump's trip to Moscow in 2013

Trump explained that he mixed up 'would' and 'wouldn't when speaking about Russia's involvement.

Putin, when asked point blank whether he had compromising information on Trump, quipped: ''I do know how dossiers are made up.'

He later told Fox News' Chris Wallace in an interview: 'We don't have anything on them and there can't be anything on them.'

Golden Showers by the numbers:

51 per cent believe Russia has 'compromising information' on Trump

35 per cent do NOT believe Russia has compromising material on Trump

Trump interjected during the press conference with a less than ironclad denial: ''And I have to say if they had it, it would have been out long ago,' the president said.

The comments on the dossier vaguely referenced salacious claims in the Chris Steele-compiled document relating to alleged conduct by the president in a Moscow hotel room during the 2013 Miss Universe pageant.

'Whether it is with love or not, President Donald Trump's relationship with Russia has delivered a small blow to his already poor standing with the American people,' said Peter Brown, who conducted the poll.

'Following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Trump's job approval is back below 40 percent again,' he said.

Fifty-two per cent of voters said the summit was a failure, with 27 per cent disagreeing. Voters called it a success for Russia by 73 to 8 per cent.

Trump wasn't acting in the best interest of the nation, voters said by a 54 to 41 per cent margin.

Trump railed against the Russia 'witch hunt' in the days before and after his summit

Overshadowing the result is concern about Trump's relationship with Russia, after a campaign and first year in office where he regularly praises Putin, even as Russia is identified with a nerve agent attack in Britain, backing for the Assad regime in Syria, and interference in the U.S. elections.

A total of 68 per cent of respondents were "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about Trump's Russia relationship, compared to 32 percent who are "not so concerned" or "not concerned at all."